'The Patrice Evra of Manchester United is done' - West Ham new boy looks to the future

The veteran defender has linked up with the Hammers and hopes to bring "winning mentality" to the club after gracing the very top of the game

Patrice Evra’s CV may have convinced West Ham to snap him up, but the 36-year-old defender says the Manchester United version of himself is “done”.

The veteran full-back finds himself back in English football some four years after departing Old Trafford for Juventus with five Premier League titles, three League Cups and a Champions League crown under his belt.

Evra will need to shake off the rustiness of an enforced spell on the sidelines if he is to make a positive impression in east London, but he has already moved to point out that he is seeking to add a “winning mentality” to David Moyes’ ranks rather than a fleet-footed option on the left of defence.

He told the club’s official website after penning a short-term deal through to the end of the season: “The Patrice Evra of Manchester United is done. Now is a new challenge, which is Patrice Evra playing for West Ham.

“People say, ‘Why are you still playing when you have nothing to prove?’ But every day you wake up, you have something to prove to yourself. When I was working on my own, not one time was I ever thinking about retirement.

“Every day I was going to training with a lot of anger. In life, nobody gave me anything for free so that’s why I know I have to work hard. I will bring my winning mentality in every game. Even in training and in the gym, you have to have that mentality.

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“For me, winning is something normal. I will do my best to bring to my team-mates that mentality.”